Diving-bell apparatus for submarine work.



J. G. FLOOD & W. G. FITZGERALD. DIVING BELL APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE WORK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT; 30, 1909. 962,019, Patented June 21,1910.

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J. G. FLOOD & W. G. FITZGERALD.

DIVING BELL APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE WORK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1909.

962,919, Patented June 21,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. G. FLOOD & W. G. FITZGERALD. DIVING BELL APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE WORK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1909.

962,01 9., Patented June 21,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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' aratus for use in submarine work and Joan amen moon. or

' DIVING-BELL APPARATUS FOR SUBMARIN E WORK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 30, 1909. Serial- No. 520,408.

Patented June 21, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN of Essex, England, and WILLIAM GEORGE FITZGERALD, resident of West Ealing, in the county of Middlesex, England, both subjects of Great Britain, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Diving-Bell Ap aratus for ubmarine Work, of which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to diving bell apas bor its object the provision of means wheret iiuously, such means enabling ready access to and from the chamber from which the work is being conducted without any necessity for interfering with or necessitating the movement of such chamber.

To carry the invention into effect, we form the apparatus in two parts, the lower part consists of a diving chamber provided with suitable permanent ballast and also independent water ballast, the quantity of which can be regulated as circumstances require. This-chamber is connected by two or more wire ropes or the like from a supporting device, situated above the surface of the water. The upper part of this lower diving chamber is provided with a door adapted to make a water tight joint with the casing against which it abuts.

Superposed on the lower diving chamber is a detachable upper diving chamber or elevator, and means are provided where these two chambers abut against one another to form a water tight joint and locking attachment between the two chambers. The upper diving chamber or elevator is provided with a se arate compartment which can be under ordinary. atmospheric pressure, an air-tight door being arranged between this chamber and the main chamber of the device, from which latter access can be had throu h the door before mentioned in the top of the lower diving chamber to the interior thereof.

The upper diving chamber is provided with permanent ballast and also water ballast, the necessary connections with the water ballast tank and high pressure air su ply being arranged so that the occupants o the upper divin chamber can discharge water ballast to give the said chamber buoyancy,

GA'RNAR Fnoon, resident of \Vestcliffe-on-Sea, in the county submarine work can be carried on conand as the chamber is provided with lugs through which the' suspension wire ropes pass, on the increase of buoyancy the up er chamber will rise to the surface in av guided manner. In this way ready communicationcan be made between the lower divin chamber and the surface without diffic t and entirely under the control of-those in t e upper divin chamber. In order to insure the co-axial a inement of the upper and lower chambers, rigid guides are attached to the lower chamber which may be formed as part of the suspension gear.

It will be observed that as far as the occupants of the upper chamber are concerned there is no necessity whatever for any pres-.

sure therein higher than atmospheric pressure, but when access is to be obtained from the upper to the lower diving chamber the air lock must be closed in the upper diving chamber and suflic'ient air pressure be admitted within the air lock in the \upper cham-' her to balance the pressure in the lower.

chamber in order to open the door in the upper part of the lower chamber through which admission can be efiected. v a

In order that the invention may be the.

describe the same with reference to the ac' I companying drawings, reference being had V to the lettcrs'and figures marked thereon.

Like letters refer to like parts in the various figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the line w -y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic. view showing the apparatus in use under water. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the lower part of the. apparatus under water, and the upper'part raised above the water connected to the pressure varying chamber.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the lower part (1/. consists of a diving chamber provided with permanent ballast b and independent water ballast tank 0 which ballast can be varied in amount by means of a vent pipe and valve 0 and flooding valve 0 the discharge of the ballast being effectedby air pressure ad-' mitted through' the valve 0 'from the air pressure pipe cl. This chamber is supported by two or more wire ropes e suspende from a suitable device such as a barge on the surface of the water. On the upper part of the chamber a man-hole with a hermetically closing door f is provided through which ingress and egress can be efli'ected when desired, a ladder 7 being arranged for. easy passage from the door to thefloor of the chamber.

Fresh air from the high pressure air. su

ply d is led to the cooks d to which can e ring 9 having a conical periphery, and provided at its upper part with a jointing ring g of india-rubber or other suitable material, and on which engages the circular rin g with a conical internal periphery, carrie on the under side of the upper chamber h.

The eyes 7' and j are provided on the exterior of the upper chamber it through which the suspending ropes epass, the eyes 7' being provided with a conical hole to engage on to the conical studs j fastened to the upper part of the chamber a in such a manner as to insure the upper chamber it being properly guidedinto position upon the lower chamber a, so as to insure a water tight joint being made between the two chambers on the ring 9 When so placed the'chambers are locked together by means of a series of claws 70 arranged around the ring 9 with which engage a series 0? projections 70 carried by a ring 70 adapted to rotate upon the ring 9?. The engaglngsurfaces of the claws lo and the projections 10 are inclined to the plane of revolution of the ring-ls so as to produce on relative rotation a drawing together in an axial direction of the rings 9 and 9 against the jointing ring g The ring k is operated by meansof a toothed quadrant 70 attached vto the said ring, into which meshes a pinion is operated by worm and worm wheel gearing k and hand wheel is. i

It will be observed that the upper chamber h is divided into two compartments, a central compartment 1 which can be put under internal pressure and an annular compartment-m which is under atmospheric presthrou h the valve h.

sure. The chamber h is provided with ahigh pressure air. supply pipe k and a vent situated within the compartment m, fresh air being supplied to the compartment At the lower part of the amber, permanent ballast m is arballast tank m is formed.

The water ballast is admitted throu h the flooding valve m a vent ipe and va ve m leading to the top of the allast tank allowing the air to be displaced by the water.

water The water is-displac'ed when necessary, b means of high pressure air led into the ba last tank through the valve in and pipe It. The compartment Z is formed as'an'airlock and is provided with a door 11. fitted with a pressure equalizing valve n Air from the high pressure. supply is admitted to the compartment Z through the valve it operated by. any person in the compartment m or by the valve it operated byany person in the com artment Z, the pressure in the chamber being indicated by a pressure, gage a". At the lower part of the compartment l the man-hole door I is fitted, having fastening .devices Z and jointing ring 1 At the upper art of the chamber h an eye bolt '0 is fixe to the suspending rope o which passes around the winding drum 0? on the gauntree 0 carried by the barge on the surface of the water. The ropes e which are attached to the chamber a are decompression chambers g on the surface,

which are generally similar in construction to the chamber a as far as the means for connecting thereto the chamber h. These chambers g are preferabl mounted on wheels g so that they may. e moved under and drawn away from the chamber h, when raised into the position shown in Fig. 4. In this way the processes of compression and decompression can be carried out on the surface with no fatigue to the diver,

who can be resting comfortably in the chamber q under the bestconditions.

A series of windows 2 are arranged around the sides of the chamber in so that the operations in the water can be observed 'ment Z, or vice versa. plpe k the latter having a control valve h The method of using the apparatus is as follows :-The lower chamber a is lowered to any'given depth, the operatorsthen enter the compartment m through the door n which is then closed, the compartment m being under atmospheric pressure. The. compressing chamber 9 containing the diver in a compressed atmosphere is now placed into position under the chamber h, and the .two chambers are locked. together by manipulating the hand wheel in. The pressure in the compartment Z'is now raised until it reaches that of the compartment 1 when the diver can open the door in the upper part of the chamber q and pass into the compartment Z when he closes the door Z and tightens up the fastening device Z The hand wheel 7c is now operated to unlock the chambers g and. h from one another, and the chamber 9 is moved from under the chamber h. The chamber 71 is now lowered into the water, the necessary amount of water ballast being admitted to the tank m in order to cause it to sink. In its descent it is guided by the ropes into position on the chamber a, and when so placed, the hand wheel is is operated so as to lock the two chambers to one another. The diver now unfastens the doors Z and 7 when he can descend through the man-hole into the interior of the chamber a; to enable him to open the door Z the valve t is provided. The diver can then attach his air pipe to one of the valves (Z and can enter the water through the passage in the lower part of the chamber (2. Should it be desirable to drain the chamber surrounding the door f the valve t can be opened. In returning from the chamber a to the compartment Z the operations above described are reversed in order. It will be observed that the occupants of the atmospheric compartment m can observe the work of the divers through the windows When the doors! and f have been closed and fastened,

the chamber in can return to the surface, which it does in a guided manner, either by being lifted by the rope 0 or by discharging the water ballast from the ballast tank m or if desired by both means.

It will thus be seen that direct and easy means of communication is provided, between the operating chamber and the surface of the water, without disturbing the conditions set up in the operating chamber in any way, so that a succession of divers or operators can be kept going. and the work be proceeded with continuously.

The difficulties and inconveniences which result under known methods of diving relathis pipe being disposed more or less in a horizontal position.

The method of using the apparatus al-- ready described is very advantageous when depths of 150 to 200 feet have to be dealt with, as in such cases moretime is spent in compression and decompression than in actual work.

In cases of depths less'than those mentioned above, in which compression or decompression is not a serious item, the use of the chamber q may be dispensed with, and access be effected to the compartment 1 from the compartment on through the door n v while under water, in which case the equalization of pressures necessary for relieving pressure on the door it must be effected.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Diving apparatus consisting of two parts adapted to be superposed on 'one another, the lower part being formed as a another, the lower part being formed as a diving bell with a closable orifice in its upper portion, means for suspending said lower part from a supporting device at the water surface, the upper part being formed as a closable chamber and provided with means for being guided on to and making a water tight joint with the lower part, operative. means attached to said upper part, adapted to support, raise and lower the said upper part, a water ballast tank in the upper part of the apparatus and means by which air is made to displace the water ballast or vice versa in order to vary the buoyancy of said upper part, substantially as described.

3. In a diving apparatus consisting of two parts adapted to be superposed on one another, the lower part being formed as a. diving bell with a closable orifice in its upper portion, means for suspending said lower part from a supporting device at the water surface, the upper part bein formed as a closable chamber and provi ed with means for being guided: on to and making a water tight joint with the lower part, operative means attached to said upper part, adapted to support, raise and lower the said upper part, a water ballast tank in the lower part of the apparatus, and means by which water surface, the 11 per part-bein formed as a closable cham er and provi ed with means for being guided on to and making a 1 upper part, means by which the upper chamber is guided by the suspending ropes of the lower chamber on to the same jomting de- Vices on the two chambers co-acting w1th each other to form a water tight 'oint and fastening means operable from t e upper chamber adapted to firmly clamp the jointing devices together at will, substantially as described.

5. In a diving apparatus consisting of two parts adapted to be superposed on one another, the lower part being formed as a diving bell with a closable orifice in its upper portion, means for suspending said lower part from a supporting device at the water surface, the upper part bein formed as a closable chamber and provi ed with means for bein guided on to and making a water tight oint with the lower part,

. operative means attached to said upper part,

adapted to support, raise and lower the said upper part, an atmospheric chamber and a pressure chamber in said upper part, closable means of communication between the two chambers and means for sup lying and controlling high pressure air to t e pressure chamber, substantially as described.

v In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN GARNAR FLOOD. WILLIAM GEORGE FITZGERALD. 

